The final game of a six-game home stand for the UB volleyball team ended Friday night in similar fashion to the previous five games: with a loss.
Over the past two weeks, the Bulls have lost six straight matches at Alumni Arena. Adding to a losing streak already in process, UB has now lost nine straight contests after falling 3-0 at the hands of a mediocre Central Michigan squad.
"The first game we were flat. The second and third game we competed, but we're just not finishing," UB head coach Sally Kus said.
UB (7-14, 0-8 MAC) hasn't won a match since Sept. 18.
The Central Michigan Chippewas, who came into Friday's encounter having lost 18 straight games, equivalent to being swept six matches in a row, managed to take advantage of UB's equally troubled team. With the win CMU raised their record to 5-14 overall, 2-7 in the MAC.
Buffalo looked sluggish throughout game one, falling behind early 10-5. Although out of sync, UB remained in the game with a massive block by sophomore Lauren Burd, slashing the CMU lead down to just three points.
But the central theme of the night was Buffalo's struggle to maintain momentum and slap together rallies.
"We need to execute better. We tend to play tentative when we need to play aggressive," said Kus.
Central Michigan responded well to UB's few spots of brilliance, spreading their lead to nine at 28-19, eventually snatching a game one victory 30-21.
A wall formed by UB's front line began to make their presence known at the start of game two and with their energy level raised a few notches, the Bulls sprung to an early 5-3 lead. However, similar to their approach in game one, the Chippewas stayed calm, trading point for point with the Blue and White.
Up 11-9, Buffalo lost its composure. Senior Molly Schrantz racked up three straight errors, allowing CMU to rip off a 10-2 run, and grab a 19-13 advantage.
However, the Bulls had no intent to give up the rest of the match and they fought their way back.
Katie Weekley, who led Buffalo with a team-high 10 kills, stuffed a CMU attack with a monstrous solo block, one of her team-high six blocks for the match.
On the very next point, a ball served by UB's Nikki Morzenti clipped the top of the net and tiptoed its way over, pulling the Bulls even at 20-20.
Game two was a battle of big plays with Buffalo maintaining its high energy as the game progressed, as they built a 29-27 lead, forcing CMU to burn a timeout.
Central Michigan took the game's final four points on a pair of Buffalo errors and two piercing kills by CMU's Kristen Buter, finishing UB off 31-29.
Central Michigan controlled the third and final game from the gate, building a 19-12 advantage. A two-point deficit was as close as the Bulls would get as the handful of CMU fans stood, cheering for their team's final point and ending the Bulls' night with a 30-25 win.
Buffalo's struggles at home this season run contrary to the theory of home-court advantage.
"Maybe it's a little nerve-wracking for them playing at home," said Kus.
So why so much trouble competing in front of the hometown fans?
"I don't know, I don't think I have a good excuse for that question," said Kus.
With off-season renovations to Alumni Arena, the team hasn't been able to spend much time there, scheduling only one home game prior to Oct. 1.
"In the past our teams have played well for the home crowd. We just can't seem to light a fire under them this year," Kus added.
The Chippewas more than doubled Buffalo's hitting percentage, going .252 for the match, compared to UB's effort of .111.
UB hit a low .037 percentage in game two, which dropped to .026 in game three. It's rare for a team to pull off a victory with fewer than 10 percent of shots staying in-bounds.
Bulls sophomore Brandie Clark was a bright spot for the Blue and White, contributing three blocks, two kills and 30 assists, while Nikki Morzenti tacked on eight kills and a team-high 13 digs.
Emily Lovejoy led CMU with a steady 14 kills and match-high 14 digs.
Coach Kus's squad has a week to practice before hitting the road for four consecutive matches, beginning Friday, Oct. 22 at defending MAC champion Ohio.
The Bobcats, who are off to their best start in the program's 31-year history with a 14-2 overall record, already hold a 3-0 victory over the Bulls this season. This road trip will hopefully help the Bulls forget a month-long skid and give the young and inexperienced team a chance to regroup away from home and come back stronger and more unified as a group.
"We're an inexperienced team and a lot of the teams we're playing against are more mature," said Kus. "Once we start believing in ourselves a little more, we're going to get that 'W'. We won't even have to worry about it, it's just going to happen."
